World premiere for Herrenknecht Direct Pipe

The jobsite was set up on the Hessian side of the Rhine River between the flood protection dam and the riverbank. The Herrenknecht Utility Tunnelling Machine M-215M (AVN1000XC; Ø 1,326mm, max. torque 150kNm), christened “Kriemhild”, bored its way through the Rhine riverbed at a maximum depth of 10m. Geological formations consisting of silt, sand and gravel were crossed at a maximum pressure of 1.5bar. The Herrenknecht Pipe Thruster “Siegfried” (HK250/500PT) provided the required push force. The Pipe Thruster pushed the 464m long steel pipe (48’’ / Ø 1.20m) with a maximum force of 500t. The steel casing, consisting of 11m long pipe sections, was welded together on the jobsite.

After the beginning of the construction work on September 28th, 2007, breakthrough already occurred on October 11th on the other side of the Rhine River in the Federal State of Rhineland-Palatinate. The Project Manager of SONNTAG Baugesellschaft mbH & Co. KG Klaus Borniger is very satisfied with the evolution of the project, “This drilling method is not only cheaper than established methods, it also saves time. The increase in know-how will allow us to continue our role as competence bearer and trendsetter in the trenchless construction market and enable us to offer our customers even more efficient and environment-friendly solutions.”

The 48“ pipe laid near Worms will serve as casing pipe for a water pipeline (Ø 60cm) and twelve ducts for power and telecommunication cables. At the end of November, the entire construction project is scheduled to be completed and the first water could flow through the new transport pipeline to Worms already in December.
The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research additionally promoted the development of the method and the implementation of the pilot project in Worms (Support Code 02WA0814). Further information about Direct Pipe.

Your contact person Contact us

Steffen Dubé President and General Manager Herrenknecht Tunnelling Systems USA Inc.
Gerhard Goisser Commercial Manager Herrenknecht Tunnelling Systems USA, Inc.